Independence daze

July 4 went late last night, so I'm writing about the Fourth of July on the Fifth of July. The Fourth was quite a fun day.

Our day started with the neighborhood parade. Wife believes we have attended every parade since we moved into the neighborhood. Eldest and his best friend decorated their bikes to ride in the parade; Littlest decorated his scooter and rode with his best neighbor friend. After the temperature reached 101 on Sunday, clouds and an occasional drizzle kept it cooler (if not a bit humid) for Monday.

We returned home and let the boys play with their friends. We had been thinking of going to the pool, but the overcast skies dispelled that. Our later-afternoon activity was a barbecue some friends of ours (parents of one of Eldest's classmates) were hosting. The party was low-key at first but still fun. It got more exciting when Eldest's friend's dad broke out some pop-its (those little papers filled with gunpowder that pop when you throw them against the ground) and smoke bombs, the smell of which made it feel like Fourth of July long past. The party really picked up when the host and some of his friends who play in an informal band performed. They played only a short set, but they were good, and Littlest went crazy dancing to their songs. He even found a girl his age who was dancing and began to dance with her. Littlest loves music so much, and watching him dance is just great. If he enjoyed a ward garage band this much, he's going to go crazy when he sees Earth, Wind and Fire later this month.

We left the barbecue in time to return home and walk to Sugar House Park for the big fireworks show there. We found our usual spot away from the major crowds of the park, plopped blankets down, broke out the glow sticks and waited for the fireworks. For some reason, this year's show seemed shorter than years past, but we still enjoyed the spectacle. Littlest grew tired and even fell asleep in the wagon on the way home. Eldest and I stayed up and watched our neighbors blast off some of their fireworks. Our Independence Day ended at 11:30 p.m. with us thoroughly exhausted.

My only complaint yesterday was the lack of sun. I know the boys loved the Fourth of July, and will continue to do so as they grow up. I always loved the Fourth -- it's such a perfect summer event, and I'm such the advocate of perfect summer events. July 4 is a little bittersweet because it somewhat feels as the apex of summer (even though it's not the midpoint). Children don't think that way, so why is it such a challenge for me sometimes? Perhaps I'm just feeling that because I'm writing this on July 5. Keep reminding yourself, there's plenty of summer left.

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